Interview with Darren Hayes (Part 1)

After selling more than 27 million records all over the world, the
now-defunct Australian pop duo Savage Garden is back in the spotlight
with a brand-new compilation album "Truly, Madly, Completely – The Best Of Savage Garden."
The album features some of the group's biggest hits including "I Knew I
Loved You," "To The Moon And Back" and "Truly, Madly, Deeply." As a bonus,
the CD includes rare B-side tracks and two brand-new songs performed by
Darren Hayes.

After Savage Garden split up five years ago, Hayes has put out
two successful solo albums overseas that have
maintained his popularity among Savage Garden fans and other pop aficionados. His last
album "The Tension & The Spark" was an impressive piece of work
that showed a darker side of the singer with minimal synth arrangements
and his intensely personal lyrics in which he copes with
depression, heartache and his violent childhood.

Darren Hayes is currently in the pre-production phase of his third solo
record. He is also preparing a U.K tour in 2006 and possibly a tour in
Australia and Asia. The singer took time out of busy schedule to talk with Arjan Writes about about Savage Garden and the Best
Off album. He also spoke candidly about his private life including his upbringing, relationships and sexuality.

I've
decided to publish a raw and unedited version of the entire phone interview with Darren in four parts. In Part One, Darren's talks about the
making of the Greatest Hits record, songwriting and censorship. Tomorrow, he will talk more about his
gay fans, homosexuality in Hollywood and attending Elton John's wedding.

Part One of the interview with Darren Hayes featured is after the jump.

Arjan Writes: How did the tracklisting for "Truly, Madly, Completely - The Best Of Savage Garden" come about?Darren Hayes: Well to be perfectly honest, a
record company is free to release a greatest hits album whenever they
want to. It is usually part of the contract an artist signs. Ever since
Savage Garden split over five years ago, the record company has wanted
to put out a Best Of album. But they have been very gracious in
listening to my request to please wait. I had so much to explore as a
solo artist, and I felt that it would send the wrong message. Unless
there's something new about a Best Of, it can seem like an easy way to get
money out of your fans. I have always been against that. So because my
third solo record is nowhere finished I agreed to do it, but I had to do it
my way. It took a lot of time to get the original tracks remastered. Our first record
was only available on multi-track tape. Some of the B-side songs that
are included were missing as well. I had to actually phone up a fan in Wales to
get a copy of "I'll Bet He Was Cool."

Of course, there's always a few songs that haven't been a single
but could have been included because they represent Savage Garden so well.Like what song?

I think "I Don’t Know You Anymore" is one of those songs.I love that song. It was
actually on my original tracklisting, but we couldn't fit everything.
You know what the story is behind that song?

I don't.I was living in New York, and I was really sad. I don't talk about
my private life much, but it is pretty much public knowledge that I was
married once. And she was my best friend, but it didn't work out. It
was very painful to stay in contact for a while. So we decided not to
talk. She really needed time apart. So I was in this big city, I didn't
know anybody. I missed my home, I missed family, and I was kinda
depressed really. And we agreed not to speak, but I couldn't do it
anymore. I remember picking up the phone in a phone booth on Broadway
and I called her up and I said 'look, I know I'm supposed not to call
you, but I really need to talk to you right now.' The song is really
the conversation we had on the phone. There's a lot of guilt in that
song. Anytime a relationship ends there is a lot of guilt. 'Unlovable'
is a song like that as well. The ending of a relationship is like
death. You had a lifestyle with somebody and all of a sudden that just
stops. And the sad thing is that the world goes on and people go about
their business not knowing the pain you feel inside your heart. It is
very interesting for a songwriter to write about that.

I think your gift as a songwriter is that you are able to convey
those complicated emotions in very simple terms. It is funny you say
that. There's certain parts of the world that respond to the openness. You
know what it is, I never really wanted to be a celebrity. I'm a really
private person. I would not be able to be a topic in the tabloids. But
I'm so open in my songs. Songs like 'Two Beds And A Coffee Machine' or 'Dublin Sky' – when I sing those on stage I really relive those
moments. It is painful.

Do you write your lyrics in minutes or does it take weeks or months for
you to finish a song? Sometimes it can be really fast. Like this week,
I'm writing songs for other people and that takes a lot more time. When
I'm writing for myself it is a form of madness really, it just flows
out of me. Songs like 'Unlovable' came fast, but a song like 'I Like
The Way' took a long time.

With Savage Garden you have had success all over the world, also in small-town America where people might not agree with
your opinions. Were you ever forced to be politically correct?Yeah, but not by a record company but by a
fear of getting censored. It is funny it was never about sexuality. In
the song "Affirmation" I have a line about the relationship
between oil and war. I was advised to take that out. That was really
sad to me.

[Tomorrow Darren will talk more about his gay fans, homosexuality in Hollywood and attending Elton John's wedding.]

Comments

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Super interview. I look forward to the other 3 parts. Thank you for being willing to publish a raw and unedited version to your conversation. That is a far more honest approach than most writers/journalists take.

Posted by: Laurie at Feb 19, 2006 2:30:21 PM

Yes good decision to publish a raw interview, that way you make sure it doesn't lose it's sincerity! Can't wait to read more.

Posted by: Kris at Feb 19, 2006 2:35:44 PM

You win my heart and my respect when you publish raw. The best kind of interviews are when you take it straight from the conversation between you and the subject..obviously, very much on the record conversation, but nonetheless, this was very well done. Very, very nice. Can't wait for the rest. Thank you.

Posted by: Mia at Feb 19, 2006 3:10:09 PM

I loved the first part of Darren's interview. I appreciate your printing an unedited version of your conversation, and I'm really looking forward to the next three parts.

Posted by: Tamara at Feb 19, 2006 3:53:29 PM

What an exciting read! Thank you for taking the time and I look foward to the next two parts!

A great interview, especially when he talked about the song "I Don't Know You Anymore", I Knew it was personal and painful for him but I had no idea. Where is part 2?

Posted by: Blair at Apr 20, 2006 10:20:32 PM

Great interview! Just fabulous!

Much Love,
~~Sely

Posted by: Sely at Sep 2, 2006 7:25:38 PM

i think the intervue would have been great i have been wishing to see darren hayes since i was 5 and i am now 11 this year i saw him in concert and because he is gay and different to us dosnt mean we should judge him